World Premiere3/29/1879Little Theatre, Imperial College of Music, MoscowCompany: unknown

Roles

MADAME LARINA, estate owner

Mezzo Soprano

TATYANA and OLGA, her daughters

Soprano, Contralto

FILIPPEVNA, nurse

Mezzo Soprano

EUGENE ONEGIN

Baritone

LENSKY

Tenor

PRINCE GREMIN

Bass

A CAPTAIN

Bass

ZARETSKY

Bass

MONSIEUR TRIQUET, a Frenchman

Tenor

GUILLOT

silent role

Peasants, fruit-pickers (female), guests at ball

Time and Place1820s, at a country estate and in St Petersburg

SynopsisOn the Larin family's country estate, people are merrily dancing and celebrating the harvest. Their fun is disturbed only by their concern for the daughter Tatyana who, unlike her rather foolhardy sister Olga, has a tendency towards melancholy. She becomes even more upset when she discovers that she has feelings for Onegin, who accompanies Lensky, Olga's fiancé, on a visit to the Larin estate. Onegin, however, has no intention whatsoever of embarking upon a liaison with a woman. He does not even seem to enjoy dancing with Tatyana when he returns to the estate on the occasion of her name-day. Instead, he decides to play a trick on his old friend Lensky by flirting with Olga. As a matter of course, this results in a duel between the two friends, during which Onegin strikes his friend a mortal blow. – Years later, Tatyana, who is now happily married to Prince Gremin, and Onegin meet again at a ball in the Prince's palace. Their feelings for each other are awakened…